Dingfelder says he was helping opponent, not hiding signs

Posted Jan 29, 2007 by Josh Poltilove

Updated Jan 29, 2007 at 05:48 PM

Tampa resident Walker Kindell said he was outside The Brunchery on South MacDill Avenue on Sunday when he saw Tampa City Council candidate John Dingfelder ripping opponent Julie Brown’s signs from the ground and hiding them.
“I said to myself, ‘What’s he doing with Julie Brown’s signs?’ ” said Kindell, who said he doesn’t work with Brown’s campaign. “I saw him put them behind a tree. He was also hammering in his own signs. It was bizarre. I wish I had taken a picture.”
Dingfelder, an incumbent, was on MacDill that morning, but he said he didn’t hide anything. He said some of his signs were knocked down during Gasparilla and that he was replacing them when he saw a Brown sign on the ground as well.
“Julie’s sign was on the ground getting run over,” Dingfelder said. “I stuck it back in the ground so it wasn’t laying flat. If [Kindell ] wants to call that hiding it, that’s fine.”
Dingfelder called Brown on Monday to tell her he was innocent, but Brown said her campaign found two of her signs in bushes near The Brunchery.
“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what type of credence to give it,” Brown said of Dingfelder’s story.
Dingfelder is facing Brown and Joseph V. Citro for a District 4 council seat. District 4 includes Harbour Island and most of south Tampa.
Election Day is March 6.
Josh Poltilove